The SSU has exposed fraudsters who, under the guise of non-existent connections in the SSU and the Prosecutor Office, blackmailed Kyiv businessmen. The group managed to extort USD 39,000 from just one of their victims.

According to the investigation, in September this year a lawyer, introducing herself as the head of the civil organization Anti-Corruption Committee under the President of Ukraine, offered a director of an enterprise in Kyiv her help in resolving certain issues, in particular, the one related to the inspection carried out in his institution.

The woman lied to the businessman stating that she cooperated with the SSU and could organize any support under the control of its employees.

Then, trying to appropriate the businessman’s funds, the lawyer told him that the inspections were supposedly initiated by a criminal known as ‘Zhuravel’, and the latter is planning a subversion with the use of grenades.

To prevent this, the lawyer demanded USD 30,000 from the entrepreneur, which she supposedly would hand over to the SSU.

In addition, ‘to prevent further attacks’, the victim had to pay USD 2,000 each month.

Later, the lawyer also lied to the businessman about criminal proceedings against him for official negligence. To ‘close the case’, the lawyer promised to use her ‘personal connections’ in the Prosecutor General’s Office. The fraudster was charging USD 5,000 for such ‘assistance’.

Believing the lawyer and fearing for his institution, life and health of employees and his family, the businessman handed over USD 37,000 to the lawyer through her intermediary.

On November 17, as the result of the operation, law enforcement officers detained the lawyer and the intermediary ‘red-handed’ after receiving another sum, USD 2,000, from the director.

Investigation is underway; the detainees are going to be served notices of suspicion. The court is to decide on the measure of restraint.

Criminal proceedings were opened under Article 190 (fraud); Article 27 (criminal complicity) and Article 369 (bribery) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The SSU Main Department of Internal Security and the National Police carried out the operation under the supervision of Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime and cannot be subject to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in line with the procedure defined by law and established by a relevant court’s verdict.